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PYANE´PSIA

PYANE´PSIA (πυανέψια,
πυανόψια, πανόψια), a festival celebrated at Athens every year on the 7th of
Pyanepsion in honour of Apollo (Harpocr., Hesych., Suidas, s. v. πυανέψια). It was said to have been instituted
by Theseus after his return from Crete (Plut. Thes.
22; cf. EIRESIONE; OSCHOPHORIA). The
true account is probably that given by A. Mommsen, that the old Pyanepsia,
in the age of Solon, was a festival, at the close of the vintage, in honour
of Apollo and Athena Skiras, and that the worship of Bacchus and of Theseus
was a later association with it of the ceremonies of the OSCHOPHORIA in the time of
Cimon, when the worship of Theseus was introduced at Athens. The festival as
well as the month in which it took place are said to have derived their
names from πύαμος, another form for
κύαμος, i. e. pulse or beans, which
were cooked at this season and carried about (Harpocr. and Suid. l.c.;Athen. 9.408). A procession,
appears to have taken place at the Pyanepsia, in which the εἰρεσιώνη was carried about. This εἰρεσιώνη was an olive-branch surrounded with
wool and laden with the fruits of the year; for the festival was in reality
a harvest feast. It was carried by a boy whose parents were still living,
and those who followed him sang certain verses, which are preserved in
Plutarch (l.c.; compare Clem. Al. Strom. iv. p. 474;
Eustath. ad Il. xxii.; Suid. s. v. Εἰρεσιώνη: and Etym. Mag., where a
different account is given). The procession went to a temple of Apollo, and
the olive-branch was placed at its entrance. According to others, every
Athenian planted, on [p. 2.527]the day of the Pyanepsia,
such an olive-branch before his own house, where it was left standing till
the next celebration of the festival, when it was exchanged for a fresh one.
(Schol. adAristoph. Pl. 1050; comp. Preller,
Gr. Myth. 1.203, 2.297; A. Mommsen, Heort.
pp. 57, 270.)